Acts 19:1-7

    While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

    They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

    So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?"

    "John's baptism," they replied.

    Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

 

Baptism matters. But not just baptism. The reason for baptism matters. The relationship behind baptism matters.

 

Apollos had been teaching only the baptism of John in Ephesus until Priscilla and Aquila took time to instruct him more fully. And here we find the results. Although Apollos had been teaching about Jesus accurately (Acts 18:25), these disciples in Ephesus had only received a baptism of repentance. They had recognized that they were sinners before a holy King, but they had not been taught to trust in the King to supply them with eternal righteousness.

 

Still, repentance was a good start. Paul was able to bring them from repentance to faith in Jesus. And when they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus, these men received the Holy Spirit in response to their trust in the King. The King supplied what they needed for eternal righteous living.

 

Father, thank You that You not only point out our sinfulness and call us to repent, but that You also have sent us a King who gives us the Holy Spirit and makes us newly righteous. Thank You that the Christian life is not only about recognizing and hating our own sinfulness, but about finding abundant help through the Holy Spirit because Jesus died and rose for us.